Library Rebels, Medicaid Protests & MAGA vs. Trump’s Qatar Jet - Resistance Brief for 15 May 2025

Information, insight, and inspiration for resisting tyranny in America

Welcome!

Welcome to The Resistance Sentinel, a publication dedicated to documenting and amplifying the movement to defend democracy against authoritarian rule. This week, we saw librarians face down a regime power grab, disabled activists confront Medicaid cuts, and a major religious institution refuse to collaborate with Trump’s racist asylum agenda. Meanwhile, scandals are rocking the regime: like a secret cartel deal and a $400 million jet from Qatar. Join us in turning awareness into action as we work together toward a more just and democratic future. But first…

Daily Inspiration

The quiet defiance of Library of Congress staff in the face of an attempted regime takeover stands as a model of institutional courage and inspiration for the broader resistance. When Trump-appointed loyalists arrived with dubious claims to leadership, civil servants refused them entry, called Capitol Police, and continued to recognize lawful leadership instead of submitting to unconstitutional authority. This principled stand, undertaken without fanfare and at personal risk, shows how even those inside government can resist authoritarianism by upholding law and integrity. As research on civil resistance shows, such acts of noncooperation within the state are vital to disrupting regime consolidation and inspiring collective defiance.

Key Development

• Library of Congress staff blocked entry to Trump-appointed loyalists attempting to seize control, rejected the White House’s appointments, and called Capitol Police to enforce proper procedure. (The Daily Beast)
  
  

Resistance Today

Civil Society & Publics

Protests and defiance of the regime continue, with the scale and diversity of these actions — from elite religious refusals to mass arrests on Capitol Hill and economic backlash against regime allies — reflecting a maturing civil resistance movement that is applying pressure across multiple sectors. These developments are especially important because they demonstrate the movement’s capacity to mobilize at symbolic moments (e.g., Trump's birthday parade), sustain protest inside regime institutions, and frame elite dissent in moral terms. According to research on nonviolent struggle, this multifront, cross-class, and values-driven resistance is essential to isolating and undermining authoritarian regimes.

Key Developments

• Protesters are organizing a mass demonstration called the “National Protest Against Trump and the War Machine” to disrupt a June 14 military parade in Washington, D.C., coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday, mobilizing thousands against the symbolic fusion of military and regime power. (Washington Post)

• 25 activists, including many from the disability rights group ADAPT, were arrested for disrupting a congressional hearing over GOP-led Medicaid cuts, directly confronting regime plans to defund critical services and highlighting the willingness of vulnerable communities to risk arrest. (Mother Jones)

• The Episcopal Church terminated its longstanding refugee resettlement partnership with the federal government, refusing to resettle white Afrikaners classified as refugees by the Trump regime, citing moral opposition rooted in anti-apartheid values and accusing the regime of racial weaponization of asylum policy. (NPR)

• Sales of Tesla vehicles are plummeting amid backlash over Elon Musk’s alignment with the Trump regime and embrace of far-right rhetoric, with analysts warning the company is in a “death spiral” in Europe and China, showing how economic actors can become liabilities through regime affiliation. (Futurism)

Bureaucratic & Executive

As mentioned in today’s inspiration section, Donald Trump's effort to weaponize the Library of Congress and US Copyright Office to favor tech industry allies—especially Elon Musk—has ignited a bureaucratic rebellion and constitutional crisis, signaling internal resistance to authoritarian control of key cultural institutions. This matters for the pro-democracy resistance because it demonstrates both the fragility of the regime’s bureaucratic overreach and the capacity of institutional actors to slow or block unlawful orders. The standoff reflects a fissure between competing factions within the Trump coalition—populists and tech oligarchs—and reveals the vulnerability of attempts to capture state institutions for corporate or regime benefit.

Key Developments

• Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Copyright Register Shira Perlmutter following a Copyright Office report critical of unlicensed AI training on copyrighted content, widely seen as a move orchestrated by Elon Musk and David Sacks to protect AI industry interests. (The Verge)

• Trump named his former criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche as Acting Librarian of Congress and tried to install two DOJ loyalists, Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves, in top Library posts—despite unclear legal authority to do so. (The Daily Beast)

• Library of Congress staff denied the Trump-appointed officials access, called Capitol Police, and recognized Robert Newlen, a senior civil servant, as interim chief instead—defying the White House in favor of continuity and legality. (The Daily Beast)

• MAGA populists have turned against Musk, seeing the firings as a corporate power grab; Trump reposted a Truth Social post accusing Musk of trying to "steal creators’ copyrights for AI profits." (The Verge)

• Legal scholars and lawmakers have questioned whether the president can remove the Librarian of Congress at all, warning that the attempted takeover breaches constitutional separation of powers. (The Verge)

Legal & Judicial

Continued legal resistance, institutional dissent, and judicial concern this week underscores the intensifying clash between Trump regime authoritarianism and segments of the legal system still capable of upholding constitutional norms. While federal courts have continued to act as a bulwark against some of the regime’s more aggressive measures—including crackdowns on immigrant rights, attacks on student protesters, and politically motivated funding cuts—other developments reveal the growing strain on these institutions, as exemplified by rising threats against judges and mounting regime efforts to exploit immigration and emergency powers. For pro-democracy resistance, these events highlight both the potential and limits of legal institutions under pressure. As researchers have shown, sustained nonviolent movements can exploit regime overreach, encourage elite and institutional defections, and protect shrinking civic space when linked to broader public mobilization.

Key Developments

• The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Trump’s bid to restrict birthright citizenship. (Reuters)

• A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump regime from canceling legal aid grants for asylum-seekers. (Reuters)

• Dozens of U.S. judges issued a rare public warning to Congress about the rise in threats against the judiciary. (Reuters)

• The Supreme Court declined to intervene in the prolonged detention of a pro-Palestinian Georgetown student, but a lower court later ordered their release. (Reuters)

• In Wisconsin, a judge was indicted on federal immigration-related charges after opposing regime policies, the latest example targeted retaliation against dissenting officials. (Politico)

• Legal scholars emphasize that Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship by executive fiat defy settled law and should fail constitutional scrutiny. (Just Security)

• A recent ruling sharply limits plaintiffs' ability to challenge racially discriminatory voting laws, gutting a key Voting Rights Act enforcement tool and revealing growing judicial complicity in disenfranchisement. (Democracy Docket)

• New York Attorney General Letitia James continues to pursue Trump on multiple legal fronts, providing a model of state-level resistance to executive impunity. (Democracy Docket)

• A coalition of state attorneys general has filed suit against Trump administration policies, reinforcing the role of subnational institutions in resisting authoritarian overreach. (KSLTV)

Congress & Lawmakers

Congressional Democrats launched legal and legislative challenges to the Trump regime’s authoritarian consolidation, focusing on corruption, agency purges, and Medicaid funding attacks. These developments matter for the resistance because they exemplify elite defection and public exposure of regime abuses, both of which are crucial to disrupting the regime’s pillars of support. Research on civil resistance shows that mass noncooperation is more likely when key elites (e.g. lawmakers, agency leaders, public intellectuals) begin to withdraw legitimacy from a regime and expose its corrupt or repressive behavior.

Key Developments

• Senate Democrats announced hearings into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s mass firings at Health and Human Services, accusing him of a "destructive rampage" that undermines basic public health functions and democratic oversight. (CBS News)

• House Democrats confronted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her role in implementing Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda. (ABC News)

• Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned Republicans for trying to cut Medicaid funding for women who suffer miscarriages. (Independent)

• Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, citing his corruption and abuses of power. (Independent)

• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is blocking Trump’s Justice Department nominees over concerns about Trump’s secret Qatari jet deal, using confirmation power as leverage to expose the regime’s corruption. (CBS News)

• Representative Jamie Raskin sharply denounced Trump’s acceptance of a luxury aircraft from Qatar as “one of the most shameless” political bribes in U.S. history. (New Republic)

State & Local Governments

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget reflects a strategic retreat on immigrant health benefits while signaling continued, if constrained, resistance to authoritarian pressures from the Trump regime. Newsom proposed pausing Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults and introducing premiums, citing economic strain from federal tariffs and looming Medicaid cuts tied to Trump’s agenda. This setback for immigrant justice highlights how authoritarian policy can erode progressive gains even in strongholds like California. In contrast, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a GOP bill that would have forced local governments to aid Trump’s mass deportation efforts, reaffirming a firm stand against federal overreach and illustrating the kind of elite defiance researchers view as critical to undermining authoritarian consolidation. Together, these state-level responses underscore the contested terrain of resistance within U.S. federalism—where budget pressures, political ambition, and institutional values collide.

Key Developments

• Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed freezing Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults starting in 2026 and introducing $100 monthly premiums for current enrollees in 2027, citing a $5.4 billion deficit driven by Trump’s tariffs and Medicaid policies. (ABC7)

• The cuts come despite Newsom's earlier assurances he would protect health care for low-income immigrants. (ABC7)

• Newsom preserved higher education funding for UC and CSU systems in his updated budget, softening proposed cuts and signaling selective resistance to Trump’s attacks on higher education. (Los Angeles Times)

• Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB1088, a Republican bill that would have required state and local governments to cooperate with Trump’s mass deportation directives, declaring that Arizona should not “take marching orders from Washington, DC.” (Tucson Sentinel)

• Hobbs’s veto marks her latest rejection of GOP-backed immigration legislation, asserting her independence from Trump’s agenda and reinforcing institutional norms of state sovereignty. (Tucson Sentinel)

Media & Tech

The Trump regime’s escalating campaign against the free press has entered a more aggressive phase, signaling a dangerous shift from rhetoric to direct action aimed at dismantling independent journalism. In a major speech, New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger outlined a five-part authoritarian playbook now in use domestically, including intimidation, civil litigation, regulatory abuse, surrogate attacks, and the creation of state-aligned media. These developments matter for the resistance because they show an important media outlet criticized for enabling the rise of Trump authoritarianism now beginning to understand the implications for media like themselves. As researchers have shown, attacks on independent media often precede broader repression of civil society and opposition forces. Unfortunately for the Times, their discovery of basic historical facts may have come too late for themselves and the rest of us.

Key Developments

• A.G. Sulzberger warned in a speech that press freedom in the United States is under unprecedented attack. (New York Times)

• He outlined a five-part strategy used by the Trump regime to suppress the press: harassment, civil lawsuits, regulatory abuse, surrogate attacks, and replacement by partisan media. (New York Times)

• Sulzberger cited recent government leak investigations, civil suits against media outlets, threats to public and nonprofit media, and use of FCC investigations. (New York Times)

• He noted that the Trump regime is giving increased access to loyalist outlets and has launched a government-run "White House Wire" to replace traditional journalism. (New York Times)

• Sulzberger called on the public to support independent journalism and resist the normalization of propaganda and disinformation. (New York Times)

International Resistance

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly condemned the British monarchy’s silence on Trump’s threats to annex Canada. Carney’s statements matter for the resistance because they help to pressure elites in allied nations to choose sides, and challenge the normalization of authoritarian behavior through silence or appeasement. Research on civil resistance underscores the importance of elite defections and international solidarity in weakening a regime’s pillars of support and opening space for domestic resistance.

Key Developments

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly stated that Donald Trump has “no respect for democracy” and warned of the dangers posed by authoritarian leaders ahead of Trump’s UK state visit. (The Guardian)

• Carney also criticized King Charles for remaining silent about Trump’s threats to annex foreign territory, accusing the monarch of moral abdication and warning that silence enables democratic backsliding. (NBC News)

Resistance Tomorrow

Vulnerabilities & Exposures

Donald Trump's deepening vulnerabilities were on full display this week as his administration became engulfed in two explosive scandals involving foreign influence and cartel negotiations, sparking outrage from both allies and opponents. The first revealed a shocking deal with a Mexican cartel leader allowing 17 family members to enter the U.S. amid ongoing narco-terrorism prosecutions. The second exposed bipartisan backlash to Trump’s decision to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, raising alarms about corruption, espionage risks, and violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clause. These revelations significantly undermine the regime’s claims of law-and-order legitimacy and expose fault lines within its own base, creating new opportunities for civil resistance to highlight elite hypocrisy and foreign entanglements.

Key Developments

• The Trump regime reportedly allowed 17 family members of Mexican cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán López to enter the U.S. as part of a cooperation deal. (New Republic)

• Cartel family members were filmed crossing the U.S. border near Tijuana with suitcases, reportedly under DOJ arrangement. (New Republic)

• On the same day, U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon announced narcoterrorism charges against Sinaloa cartel leaders. (New Republic)

• Trump faced bipartisan backlash for accepting a $400 million Boeing 747 jet from Qatar, with critics calling it a bribe or security threat. (BBC)

• Attorney General Pam Bondi, a former Qatari lobbyist, ruled the gift legal, but concerns grew over the Trump Organization’s concurrent Qatari business ties. (BBC)

Actions This Week

📢 June 14: Nationwide Day of Action to Stop Authoritarianism

Protests across the U.S. are planned for Friday, June 14, with people rising up to resist Trump's anti-democratic agenda. Actions include Tesla boycotts, ICE protests, Fox News demos, and a major veterans-led rally in DC on June 6. You don’t have to wait—start organizing, calling Congress, or creating resistance content today.

Find out more & take action:

• Read the Full Call to Action

• Contact Congress via 5calls.org

• Join the Community Survey

Action items from Indivisible.org this week:

🔥 Main Action Items

1. Register for a No Kings protest on June 14 to resist Trump’s authoritarianism and disrupt his military birthday parade.

   • Register or host an event
     

2. Email or call your GOP representative to get them on record about plans to defund SNAP and Medicaid.

   • Send an email

   • Make a call
     

3. Volunteer to call North Carolina voters on Thursday, May 15 to pressure Sen. Thom Tillis against the GOP reconciliation plan.

   • Join the phone bank
     

4. Join a mass strategy call on Thursday, May 15 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to fight Medicaid cuts with Working Families Power.

   • Register for the call
     

5. Chip in to support No Kings Day organizing (for signage, speakers, logistics, etc.).

   • Donate here
     

6. Use the new “Stop The Cuts” toolkit to organize your community against the GOP’s Medicaid/SNAP-slashing bill.

   • Access the toolkit
     

7. Join Indivisible's weekly “What’s the Plan” call on Thursday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT for updates, strategy, and Q&A with Leah and Ezra.

   • Sign up for the call

7. Join the Truth Brigade Orientation and Message Launch on Wednesday, May 14 at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT to fight online disinformation.

   • Join the Truth Brigade event

📚 Read & Reflect: Defiance, Fascism, and the Rule of Law

• When the Executive Defies the Judiciary
  A timely analysis of how federal courts can enforce their rulings even when executive branches refuse to comply—a critical question in today’s climate of constitutional crisis.
  Read at Just Security

• “The Wolves Came”: Steigmann-Gall on Did it Happen Here?
  Historian Richard Steigmann-Gall reflects on Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins’s new collection about American fascism, warning how slow recognition of danger enables authoritarian drift.
  Read at Society for U.S. Intellectual History

Finally, definitely go watch…

🎥 Bruce Springsteen's powerful message to America, a protest and a prayer, urging us to stand against corruption and fight for unity. Watch this video, listen to the Boss, and heed his words as he calls for hope and resilience in these dangerous times.